Monday, August 20, 2007

The Westchase Artists Society would like to invite the entire Tampa Bay community to experience the “Colors of Art” as its members exhibit their work during September and October at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library. The show’s opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 6 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM and will provide an opportunity to meet the artists whose works include painting, sculpture, mosaics, and photography. If you miss out on the fun and excitement of opening night, “Colors of Art” will continue to be on display for your enjoyment during normal library hours through the end of October. For more information please visit http://www.westchaseartists.com/

Also we have a discussion group were you can read more about the group. http://groups.google.com/group/westchase-artists

The Westchase Artists Society has one year under its belt and what a year it’s been! In the past 12 months the society has accomplished quite a few goals. Finding a permanent home at our local library was one of the first. Creating a Web presence with a blog and an online monthly newsletter was another biggie.

We’ve been featured in a couple of local publications and have had one very successful show with another one planned for next month. We’ve been invited to participate in various Westchase projects and we’ve met many accomplished individuals and made many new friends.

More importantly, the Westchase Artists Society has been embraced by the people of our community, who’ve supported and encouraged us every step of the way. That’s the biggest hope and goal for any fledgling group!

You’re all invited to our next exhibition, Colors of Art, at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, with a reception Thursday evening, Sept. 6, from 6-8 p.m. Please drop in and enjoy beautiful works of art along with good food and fascinating company.

Since the show at the library is coming up September 6, 2007, Ithought this will be a good questions to ask artists in general.

Today I was talking to my friends and inviting them to the libraryshow reception. As they were leaving, they said, "We will seeyou there and we hope the show is a success." And that is when allthis questioning that I am going to share with you came about.

So how do you measure success for a show?Do you measure success by how many people come to a show?Do you measure success by how many people bought or sold artwork?Do you measure success by how many people participated in the show?Do you measure success by how the show was arranged?Do you measure success by the food that was served at the reception?Do you measure success by the type of people that came to the show?Do you measure success by what someone told you about the show?Do you measure success by having the best picture in the show?Do you measure success by having an article written in a magazine ornewspaper?Do you measure success by reviews?Do you measure success by just being part of the show and enjoying theentire event?Do you measure success by how many people you met and how you networkon a show?

Now. Wouldn't all these questions also apply to your art by itself? Howwill you measure success as an artist? Do you measure it by settinggoals and achieving them or by seeing your name somewhere? Or perhapsmaking a living as an artist?

We are accustomed to measure things in this world by meter,centimeter, failures, success, happiness, sadness and so on. And weeven have levels for them: first place, second place, etc. Noteveryone measure the same things the same way that each of us dobecause we are all different and we all come from differentbackground. So what for one person will be a success, for anotherperson will be an okay and for another person will be a failure. Itis in the eyes of the beholder that the levels of measuring trulystands. And if that is the case, wouldn't be easier to measure thingsif we could understand what are we measuring with (meter, gallons,level of success, etc) before we try to understand how others measureour art or shows?

So may be we should be prepared because some day you might findyourself answering the question of how was your show or how are youdoing as an artist? And you will say...